Reinforced plastic containers for pressurized products



F. C- MEYERS June 27, 1967 REINFORCED PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR PHESSURIZED PRODUCTS Flled June 9, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FPeZaEW/CA M20455 Mz'ysgs BY nicb liw ATTORNEYS REINFORCED PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR PRESSURIZED PRODUCTS 7 Filed June 9, 1965 F C MEYERS 5 Sheets-sheaf 2 June 27, 1967 INVENTOR F'PEOzSP/O? org/ems Mfvms,

' ATTORNEYS REINFORCED PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR PRESSL JRIZED PRODUCTS Filed June 9, 1965 June 27, 1967 F. c. MEYERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Ww/o? 0444/?455 MYEFS,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,327,907 REINFORCED PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR PRESSURIZED PRODUCTS Frederick Charles Meyers, 916 Cole Drive, Brielle, NJ. 08730 Filed June 9, 1965, Ser. No. 462,496 2 Olaims. (Cl. 222402.16)

This disclosure relates to containers for pressurized products, and more particularly to reinforced plastic containers for aerosol products.

An aerosol is a suspension of fine, solid or liquid particles III a gas. Many products are packaged and sold on todaysmarket as aerosols. A typical aerosol container is made of metal to withstand the high internal pressures produced by the gas vehicle used to effect the valved discharge of the packaged product.

The aerosol containers used on todays market are relatively expensive to manufacture, but this is not the main draw-back to their use. The chief disadvantage of metal containers for aerosol products is the safety hazard involved. When the product packaged in the metal aerosol container is exhausted a substantial amount of gas usually remains. If the container is subjected to heat, this gas expands to the point where the container will burst. An aerosol container accidentally thrown on a pile of burning trash or rubbish can become a lethal weapon, since it will produce an explosion similar to a bomb. For this reason, extreme safety precautions must be taken in handling and storing typical metal aerosol containers.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to produce an aerosol container which presents no safety hazard when subjected to intense heat or flame.

It is another object of this invention to provide a reinforced aerosol container which is relatively cheap and easily manufactured.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a plastic aerosol container which will soften and gently burst upon the application of heat of an intensity which would otherwise cause an extreme pressure rise within the container.

'In accordance with the invention these objects are realized in a plastic container which includes a hollow body member having a longitudinal axis. Top and bottom closure members are provided for the hollow body member, and, if desired, the bottom closure member may be formed integrally with the hollow body member. Longitudinally disposedpartitions are provided within the hollow body member to define support members which add to the rigidity of the container and permit relatively thin dimensions of the wall so that-the body may be made of moldable plastic. The longitudinally partitions define internal compartments in the container, and adjacent compartments are provided with means for intercommunication to equalize pressures Within the container-and permit easy discharge of the contents. Conventional valve means are provided for discharging the pressurized products contained within the hollow body member.

The invention also provides a structure to facilitate filling the plastic containers thus produced. Resilient insert-s are provided within portions of the'plastic walls of the container for the insertion of fluid conducting passageways, which usually take the form of hollow needles. By providing a pair of resilient sealing members in proximity to one another, a pair of hollow needles may be inserted simultaneously through the resilient members to communicate with the interior of the aerosol container. One hollow needle is used to evacuate the atmospheric contents of the container, while the other vhollow needle is used to inject the aerosol under pressure into the interior of the container. In this fashion a rapid filling can be accomplished to any desired level within the container.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the more following particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the bottom closure member removed;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 taken with the bottom closure member removed;

FIG. 6 is a partial crosss'ectional view of a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an end View of the embodiment of FIG. 6 with the bottom closure member removed; and

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing detailed structure of the valve mechanism and the filling ports.

The invention wil be understood more readily by referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing which shows a first embodiment of the device. The container shown comprises a hollow body portion 1 of cylindrical shape and having a plurality of partitions 3 and 5 disposed along the longitudinal axis of the hollow body member 1 and dividing the interior of the body member into three compartments 7, 9 and 11. The container structure includes a bottom closure member 13 and a top closure member 15. Intercommunication between the compartments 7, 9 and 11 is effected by means of slots 17, 19, 21 and 23 formed in partition members 3 and 5. Grooves 25 and 27 are also formed in bottom closure member 13 to insure complete circulation. The slots 17, 19, 21 and 23 and the grooves 25 and 27 insure the equalization of pressures among the compartments 7, 9 and 11 to facilitate a complete and even discharge of the pressurized contents of the container.

A valve structure for the container is indicated generally by the numeral 29. This valve structure is conventional in nature, and the details form no part of the present invention. A conventional dip tube 31 extends within the interior of hollow body member 1 and forms a discharge passageway for the contents of the container.

The container is filled through filling ports indicated generally by the numearls 33 and 35. A detailed description of these ports and the method of filling will be given subsequently in connection with the description of FIG. 8 of the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the device of the invention which is generaly similar in structure to the embodiment of FIG. 1 except for the external configuration of the .hollow body member. In FIG. 3 the hollow body member 37 is formed as the frustum of a cone with external ridges 39, 41 and 43 extending around the periphery of body member 37 to give a decorative effect and to facilitate easy grasping of the container.

FIG. 4 of the drawings shows a third embodiment of the invention which dilfers from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that longitudinal partition members 45, 46, 47 and 48 are formed as radial vanes extending radially from a central axis member 49. In this embodiment of the invention the dip tube member 51 extends into one of the internal compartments formed by the radial vanes rather than being disposed centrally as in the previous embodiments. In order to accommodate the dip tube 51 a portion of the rib members constituting the vanes 45, 46 47 and 48 is cut away to form a conically or elliptically shaped recess 55 through which the straight portion of dip tube 51 can extend before being disposed sidewardly into internal compartment 57.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 is similar to that shown in FIG. 4 with the exception that the dip tube 59 extends directly along the central axis of the hollow body member 61, and is formed integrally with the partition members constituting radial vanes 61, 62, 63 and 64. In this embodiment, as well as the embodiment of FIG. 4 intercommunication among the internal compartments is accomplished by means of the elliptically shaped recess 65 at one end and the recessed portion 67 located in bottom closure member 69. In all of the embodiments shown the top and bottom closure members may be secured to the hollow body portion by means of fusion welding of the plastic materials, or the bottom member may be formed integrally with the hollow body portion, thereby eliminating the necessity for Welding the bottom closure member in position.

FIG. 8 is a detailed showing of the valve and filling port structure. The filling ports are shown generally by the numerals 75 and 77. Each of these ports contains a resilient sealing member 79 and 81 held securely in position by internal flange members 83 and 85 which are crimped over the sealing members 79 and 81 in firm sealing relationship. Exterior flange members 87 and 89 are shown in dotted line configuration as formed on the flat exterior surface of closure member 91. Hollow needles 71 and 73 are shown in position as they are being removed from the filling ports 75 and 77. 1

The hollow container is filled by inserting hollow needles 71 and 73 through the top closure member 91 and through sealing members 79 and 81 until the needles communicate with the interior of the hollow container. The atmospheric contents of the contaiiner are withdrawn through hollow needle 73 while the aerosol contents are inserted under pressure through hollow needle 71 until the container has been filled to the desired level. Hollow needles 71 and 73 are then removed, and the external flange members 87 and 89 are heat sealed and fused into the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 8. This provides a double sealing action. The sealing members 79 and 81 form an hermetic seal, and this seal is reinforced by a second hermetic seal formed by heat-fusing the exterior flanges 87 and 89.

Any suitable plastic material may be chosen from Which to mold the containers of the present invention. One criterion to be considered is the melting point of the particular plastic. It is desirable to choose a plastic having a melting point such that a temperature tending to cause excessively high pressures of the aerosol contents will also produce a softening of the plastic such that the container will distort into extended configuration until finally the thin walls have gently burst to allow escape of the contents without the exploding or violent aftermath to be expected from normal aerosol containers. In this fashion the safety hazard presented by conventional metal aerosol containers is completely eliminated, and a container is provided which is inexpensive and easily manufactured.

The structure utilized in the present invention allows the container to be assembled completely prior to filling. The filling operation is uncomplicated and may be carried out quickly and with a minimum of effort and expense. The extremely low temperatures which have been necessary heretofore on the assembly lines when aerosol containers were being filled are no longer required.

The internal partition structure employed strengthens the container structure to the point where it is commercially feasible to produce these plastic containers by conventional processes such as injection molding. The strength and rigidity imparted to the container by the internal partitions of the present invention makes the container constructed of thin wall plastic entirely adequate and suitable for the intended purpose insofar as structural strength is concerned, while maintaining a material which readily distorts in the presence of heat to eliminate the safety hazard as previously explained.

While the invention has been shown and described with particular reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A plastic container for pressurized products comprising an elongated hollow body member having a longitudinal axis,

a top closure member,

a bottom closure member,

valve means for discharging the pressurizing products,

a plurality of longitudinally disposed partition members extending from said top closure member to said bottom closure member within said hollow body member to strengthen said body member against pressure exerted by said pressurized products,

said partition members dividing said hollow body member into a plurality of internal compartments, means adjacent said top closure member and said bottom closure member for communicating between adjacent compartments at both the top and bottom of said container to equalize internal pressures and facilitate uniform discharge from said valve means,

and means .for evacuating said hollow body and simutaneously inserting fluid therein comprising a pair of resilient sealing members located in spaced-apart relationship and adapted for the insertion of needles therethrough. 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for evacuating and inserting comprises external flange members located around said resilient sealing members, whereby said flange members may be heat-sealed and fused over said resilient sealing members to provide a double sealing action.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,955 5/1946 Samel. 2,483,993 10/ 1949 Becker 222394 X 2,512,105 6/1950 Kooij et al 222-394 X 2,799,435 7/ 1957 Abplanal-p 222394 3,237,659 3/1966 Albrecht 14120 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

E. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PLASTIC CONTAINER FOR PRESSURIZED PRODUCTS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A TOP CLOSURE MEMBER, A BOTTOM CLOSURE MEMBER, VALVE MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE PRESSURIZING PRODUCTS, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED PARTITION MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM SAID TOP CLOSURE MEMBER TO SAID BOTTOM CLOSURE MEMBER WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY MEMBER TO STRENGTHEN SAID BODY MEMBER AGAINST PRESSURE EXERTED BY SAID PRESSURIZED PRODUCTS, SAID PARTITION MEMBERS DIVIDING AID HOLLOW BODY MEMBER INTO A PLURALITY OF INTERNAL COMPARTMENTS, MEANS ADJACENT SAID TOP CLOSURE MEMBER AND SAID BOTTOM, CLOSURE MEMBER FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN ADJACENT COMPARTMENTS AT BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER TO EQUALIZE INTERNAL PRESSURES AND FACILITATE UNIFORM DISCHARGE FROM SAID VALVE MEANS, AND MEANS FOR EVACUATING SAID HOLLOW BODY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INSERTING FLUID THEREIN COMPRISING A PAIR OF RESILIENT SEALING MEMBERS LOCATED IN SPACED-APART RELATIONSHIP AND ADAPTED FOR THE INSERTION OF NEEDLES THERETHROUGH. 